Untitled
by SM0KEYJ0E
Summary: Slightly AU, as if Sam had never left (and ignoring the recent developments with the VP) - After the second term, a good-bye between friends ***I've changed a few things (not many at all) in chapter four; the sentiment was right, but not the tone.
1. Default Chapter

Author's Notes: This is slightly AU, as if Sam had never left to run for Congress and then disappeared to Mandyville. It's after the Bartlet administration's second term. I've given Sam a wife named Grace and a son named Nathaniel (he's not mentioned here, though). There might be more coming later involving them, but who can say?  
  
Disclaimer: Sam Seaborn and Josh Lyman are very much not mine. This is just for giggles.  
  
Josh Lyman stood in Reagan National Airport, hands in his pockets, looking at the floor. "Are you ready to go back?" he raised his head and looked at his long-time friend.  
  
"I think so." Sam Seaborn answered, resolve on his face and in his voice.  
  
"Grace is settled?" Josh silently wondered to himself why this was so awkward for him.  
  
"Yeah," Sam's speech was clipped. There was certainty. "She went with my mother."  
  
"Good." There was a brief pause, and again, Josh found himself feeling uncomfortable or somehow self-conscious. More than a little irritating to him was that Sam seemed perfectly at-ease, almost like he was waiting for something. "So, when do you start at UCLA?  
  
"Next fall." There was that certainty; it was contentment. "I've got some time." Sam paused, then smiled. "Maybe I'll start my doctorate."  
  
"Yeah." Josh chuckled a little and fell silent, staring back at the checkered tiles once more, envying just a little Sam's surety regarding exactly what was next when Josh himself was so insecure. Just as he was about to speak to bridge the pause, Sam beat him to it.  
  
"Josh?"  
  
Josh's head turned up, and found Sam's gaze intently upon him. "Yeah?"  
  
Sam paused, his blue eyes seemingly going to the depths of his friend's soul. "It's okay to say no to Hoynes."  
  
Josh sighed and gave the smallest of smiles. He should've known it was coming. "I gotta stay."  
  
Sam nodded. He eyes turned down momentarily, but fixed on Josh once again. "Then keep him honest." There was something different in his voice now, almost a plea, but riddled with encouragement and command as well. "Get in the room. Don't let him smack you around on Social Security."  
  
Josh took a deep breath and sighed, conveying that he understood.  
  
"US Airlines flight 157, Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, is now boarding." A tinny voice came over the PA system.  
  
"Hey. That's you." Josh glanced over at one of the large windows, looking at the plane that would take his best friend 3,000 miles away.  
  
"Yeah." Sam sighed the word, and picked up his briefcase.  
  
The two men shuffled slowly toward the gate. "Eight years, buddy. Man am I gonna miss it." Josh clapped a hand on Sam's back and smiled, genuinely, but a little sad at the same time. "We were doing something."  
  
Sam stopped abruptly, just steps before the ticket counter, causing Josh to halt his movement as well. "You carried me here." The younger man's eyes held a look of sincere appreciation that his friend had seen many times.  
  
"Nah." Josh waved his hand in the air, dismissing Sam's comment. "I got you to New Hampshire. You got yourself here. You kept yourself here." Josh stood directly in front of his friend, finally meeting his eyes, willing Sam to be aware of just how valuable he was and the confidence that Josh had in him. "Don't let anyone ever tell you different."  
  
"Thank you." Sam gave a grateful smile. The understanding had always been largely unspoken between the two of them.  
  
"Take care of that family." Josh made the first move, taking a step and hugging his friend. "I'll see you around."  
  
"Yeah." Sam answered, stepping out of the embrace. Somehow they both knew it was more of a good-bye than either wanted to admit.  
  
"Have a good flight." Sam smiled again, and walked to the woman who was scanning tickets. Josh watched as his friend exchanged words with the woman, watched her face light up with a grin, and knew that Sam was working the charm. The older man put his hands in his pockets, looked down at the floor and chuckled to himself. When he brought his head back up, Sam was just about to enter the breezeway. Josh was about to leave as well, but before he could, Sam turned, blue eyes meeting brown for one last good-bye. The younger man smiled again, bringing his free hand to his heart and mouthing a 'thank-you.' With that, he turned, and disappeared around the corner. Josh debated for a moment whether he wanted to stay and watch the plane taxi off the runway, but decided against it. He pulled his keys out of his pocket, tossing them in the air once as he walked away. 


	2. Untitled 2

Author's Notes:  Chapter two of my untitled little story…. Umm… I've given Sam his doctorate in a year and a half (it could happen!), and there's a bit that I'll comment on at the end.

Sam Seaborn looked at his watch.  12:40.  Standing up from his desk, he looked around is office.  He looked around his desk, he looked in his briefcase, and he patted his pockets.  

"Andrea?" he raised his voice, wanting to catch the attention of the administrative assistant who worked in the law department at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"Yes, Dr. Seaborn?" Sam could hear the clicking of her keyboard at her computer.  He went to the doorway of his office.

"Glasses?" he questioned.

Andrea looked up at Sam and gave him and amused sort of smile.  "You're still wearing them, Dr. Seaborn."

"Oh."  Sam paused, feeling sheepish. "Right then." He turned back to the interior of his office and hit his shoulder on the doorframe on the way back in.  "Ow."

"You alright, Dr. Seaborn?" came Andrea's voice again.

"Yup.  I'm fine."  He answered.  Going back to his desk, Sam placed a few notes and a book in his open briefcase, closed it, and carried it out with him. "Gonna go to class now, Andrea."  

"Alright." She was still typing.

Sam made it to the door of the Law Department office, and then turned back until he was standing in front of Andrea's desk.  She didn't acknowledge him.  "You can call me Sam, you know."

Andrea stopped typing and turned to face him, but her hands remained on the keyboard.  "Yes.  I know." She answered.

"Okay."  Sam replied.  

Andrea went back to typing, but Sam remained.

"We don't chat much, Andrea." He persisted.

She stopped typing again, this time turning completely toward Sam, folding her hands in front of her, and resting them on the desk, leaning on her elbows.  "No."  She smiled politely.

"You work here, I work here."  Sam stated.  "I like to get to know the people I work with.  I'm very friendly; people like me.  There's no reason we shouldn't be able to chat."

"Of course not, Dr. Seaborn." Andrea was still smiling.

Sam nodded his approval.  "Good then.  I'm going to go to class now, and I would like to let it be known that I know you are humoring me, but I'm really okay with that.  What's more, I appreciate it."

"Have a good class, Dr. Seaborn."  She turned and went back to typing.

"Thank you, Andrea.  I will.  And you have a good time working."  Sam turned and walked toward the door once again.  He stopped a second time, and turned back toward the assistant's desk. "Really, very friendly.  Amiable, even."

"Yes, Dr. Seaborn." She replied.

"Okay." Sam paused a beat, and then turned back to the door.  "See you later, Andrea." He called over his shoulder.  

"Good-bye, Dr. Seaborn." Andrea's voice was imposed over the clicking.

Sam stepped out into the sunshine and headed off to his 12:45 class, smiling and calling out greetings to various students he knew.  When he reached his room, he opened the door and saw everyone in their seats.

"I'm late again?" he questioned.

"Only by a couple minutes." Replied one of the girls, named Sarah, in the front row.

Sam plopped his briefcase on the table that was in the front of the room, and opened it, pulling out a yellow legal pad and a textbook.  "Well, let's get started then."  He flipped a through the book until he found what he was looking for.  "Okay… we're still looking at Governmental Control of the Content of Expression… someone talk to me about prior restraint and _Near v. Minnesota_."  Sam looked up at the students, seeing who had their hands raised. "David." 

"Dr. Seaborn, I would really like to talk about unprotected defamation, but can you give us a White House story first?" the kid smiled benignly.

"Tomorrow."  Sam answered. "We gotta get through this.  What made this particular injunction-"  

"Can't we do it now?" David interrupted.

"No."

"Why not?"

"You'd have no reason to see me tomorrow." Sam replied, grinning.  "Now, back to _Near v. Minnesota_; who can tell me, is it improper to enjoin future publication of-"

"Dr. Seaborn, I can give 'em a White House story." Came a familiar voice from the back of the classroom.  

Sam looked up quickly, recognizing the voice.  "Josh?" His face broke into a wide grin that was covered with astonishment.  "Hey!"  Josh came to the front of the room.  The two men hugged briefly before Sam introduced him to the class. "Everyone, this is _the_ Josh Lyman." Sam turned back to his friend.  "I've already told them all your stories."

Josh smiled mischievously.  "Have you told them about celestial navigation?"

Sam had a momentary look of horror.  "No – I haven't told them about a secret plan to fight inflation either." He finished with a smile.

Josh buckled down, ready for a battle of wills.  "Eliminating the penny?"

"Foul weather gear." Sam was up for the task.

"Krygystan?"

"Stamps?"

"Dental Hygiene."

"Delicate System."

"America is stranger?"

"Lemonlyman.com." Sam finished with a flourish.

"Damn." Josh sighed, defeated.

Sam smiled at his victory.  "Alright.  We've got – Drew, what time are we done?" he asked one of his students.

"Uh, 1:40."  Drew answered.

"We've got 45 minutes." Sam told Josh. "You pick one."

Josh smiled.  "Stackhouse?"

Josh began animatedly telling the story, starting with an explanation of the children's healthcare bill.  The students were captivated from the first words, and Sam watched with amusement, interjecting bits every little while.  Partway through, Josh stopped.

"Is this where you got schooled by the thirteen-year-old-" he questioned.

"No, that was after the fruit, and she wasn't thirteen, she was nineteen.  She was really very crafty." Sam defended.

"Right."  Josh smirked and, his memory refreshed, jumped right back into the story. "So, Sam's in my office shopping for fruit-"

"Looking for a good piece of fruit." Sam corrected.

"That's what I said." 

The two friends continued the story, Josh being sure to give every detail of Winnie the GAO intern, and Sam being equally sure that all his students knew that Josh's mother periodically sent him new shoes.  

"So, since the print deadline was already blown anyway, we went back and re-worked the bill."  Josh finished.

Sam looked up at the clock.  "Hey, we've kept you guys five minutes over."  He paused, looking back to the forgotten notepad.  "Uh, alright, we'll pick back up with prior restraint and _Near v. Minnesota_ on Friday.  Don't forget your Interpretive Methods assignment is coming up in a week or so."  Sam ended as the students gathered up their bags and books.  Most shuffled toward the door, while a few lagged behind, wanting to introduce themselves and talk for a few moments.  After awhile they all cleared out and Sam began packing up his briefcase.

"You wanna go grab something to eat?" he asked, removing his glasses placing them in his shirt pocket.  "I've got a break between classes."

"Yeah.  Sounds great."  Josh answered, picking up his coat, which he had tossed over a chair.  "Dr. Seaborn, huh?" 

Sam smiled modestly.  "Yeah.  Just got it, like, two weeks ago."

Josh put his hands on his hips and waited for Sam to finish. "How's Gracie doin?"

Sam picked up his briefcase and the two friends left the classroom.  "Good.  She's still doing the freelance thing.  She's enjoying it."

"And Nate?"  Josh followed Sam across a courtyard, watching as he continued the conversation while giving head nods and directing smiles at many of the students.

"He's getting big.  He's two now.  Talking a lot."  Sam beamed, every bit the proud father.  "You wanna come for dinner tonight?  Say hi?"

"No, I can't, thanks. I'm actually flying out tonight." Josh regretted the fact that he hadn't planned his hop out to California a little better by running it through Donna first. "Gotta get back to Washington."

"Oh." Sam's countenance displayed his disappointment, but he quickly changed subjects.  "Well, I'm just gonna stop by my office, drop this stuff off.  You can meet Andrea.  She doesn't like me."  He told Josh.  "So, what are you doing here?" 

"I wanna run something by you."  Josh answered, then paused.  "Wait, who's Andrea, and why doesn't she like you?"

"She works in the office." Sam replied nonchalantly as they reached the law department. "She doesn't think I'm friendly."

"Ah-kay." Josh replied, walking through the door that Sam had opened for him.

"What is it you wanted to run by me?" Sam asked again, but then interrupted himself, "Oh, wait - hey Andrea." He stopped in front of her desk, as did Josh.

"Hi, Dr. Seaborn."  She was still typing.  Sam wondered to himself if she was ever not typing. "Did you have a good class?"

"Yes.  As a matter of fact I did."  Sam pasted on the broadest, warmest smile he could muster.  "Andrea, this is my friend, Josh Lyman."  He waited for her to acknowledge them.  She kept typing. "He works for the President of the United States."

Andrea finished up a line, and then turned to the stranger.  "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lyman."

Josh smiled.  "Good to meet you, Andrea."

"Alright."  Sam kept smiling; Josh could tell he was unnerved, though he didn't understand why the younger man thought Andrea didn't like him. "We're going to go into my office now."

"Okay." The assistant went back to her typing.

"Great." Sam clipped the word and turned to his office.  When both he and Josh had stepped inside and were safely out of earshot, "See what I mean?" he asked, setting his briefcase on his desk.

Josh shrugged.  "She seemed friendly enough." 

"She doesn't like to chat." Sam noted, as he straightened a few things on his already immaculate desk.

"Ah." Josh answered, walking around the room.  He observed with great amusement that Sam's Navy Jack flag was up, as was his old Lakers pennant.  

"Ginger and Bonnie used to chat." Sam reflected. "Donna used to chat."  

"Donna still chats."  Josh turned a White House coffee mug that sat on one of Sam's shelves in circles. "Incessantly."

"Yeah." Sam sighed; Josh detected a bit of sadness in his voice. 

"So, where are we going?"  Josh asked, setting the Newton's Cradle into action.

"Place called 'Headlines'.  Good sandwiches." Sam smiled.

"'Headlines?'" Josh was a little skeptical, opening the office door and following Sam out.

"Yup." Sam answered. "Going out to lunch, Andrea." He called over his shoulder, then abruptly stopped and turned around, confusing Josh. He walked over to the assistant's desk until he was standing right in front of her. "We're going to 'Headlines.'" He told her. "Would you like anything?  Pasta salad?  A sandwich?" he offered.

"No, thank you, Dr. Seaborn." Andrea replied.

Sam looked crestfallen, but then grinned.  "Okay… but I will not be defeated."

Josh chuckled as he stepped out the door after his friend.  

Sam drove, since he knew the way, and led Josh deftly through the crowded restaurant once they arrived.  They spent the majority of lunch catching up, and each found himself reliving old stories and not quite wanting the time to end.       

Sam ate a last French fry and leaned back a little in his chair, pushing his plate away.  "So, what did you want to run by me?"  

Josh tossed his napkin onto his plate and took a deep breath.  "I came to ask you if – how do I-" he was stumbling badly over his words; he hadn't planned this part out. "I came to ask – lemme put it this way -"

"I won't work for Hoynes." Sam anticipated.

"Wouldn't ask you to." Josh replied earnestly.

"He's listening to the wrong guys." Sam was brutally honest.

"Yeah." Josh turned his eyes down to his plate, and rested his elbows on the table, leaning forward.  He looked up, locking his friend's gaze.  "Look, Sam, what would you think about getting back in the game?" Josh held his breath.

"If not Hoynes, who's the candidate?" Sam questioned, taking a sip of water.

"You." Josh almost whispered it.

Sam's eyes widened, and then he smiled and set down his glass.  "Come on-"

"Seriously, Sam." Josh grew excited, leaning further forward across the table. "Five years from now, I'm talking about the White House."

Sam realized that his long-time friend was serious.  "I just got here Josh.  I've only been teaching a year" he attempted to rationalize why he couldn't do it; why it wouldn't work.  "Grace and Nate -" Sam paused, and his face broke out into a huge, but somewhat modest grin. "We're having another one, Josh.  We're not through the first trimester yet, so we're waiting before we tell people, but…"

"Wow." Josh was surprised, and leaned back. "Wow, Sam.  That's -" he tried to recover quickly.  "That's great news."  

"Yeah." Sam was still smiling. "We're really excited.  We're having another baby." He repeated the last part, letting it sink in again.

Just after Sam's revelation, a waitress came by with a check.  They paid their bill and drove back to the school, relating more memories.  Sam pulled into the faculty/staff parking lot, where Josh had earlier decided he could park his rental car.  Sam turned off the engine, and both stepped outside.  Josh fumbled for his keys a little, finally finding them in one of the pockets in his coat.  

"Hey, next time you're coming out, gimme a call." Sam told him. "We'll plan something."

"Definitely." Josh nodded. "Tell Gracie I said hello, and hug the kid for me."  

"I will." Sam stepped forward, and the two friends hugged.  They shared a smile, and Josh opened his car door, but stopped and turned back before getting in.

"Look, Sam, I know you don't think -" he began awkwardly. "I mean, with your family… and we'd only have a year…" he looked straight into Sam's eyes, composing himself, "but we could still do it."  He saw Sam waver. "Now, I know you gotta go to class, but I talked to some people before coming here." Josh began going through his pockets again, finally producing a small, folded, white piece of paper.  He held it out to Sam. "I was told to give you this if you were hesitant."

Sam took it, and slowly unfolded it, unsure if he wanted to read it or not, knowing Josh was very good at what he did.  In a familiar scrawl, he read:__

_See the whole board.  I believe in you._

Josh watched his friend carefully.  "Think about it."  He pulled out a business card and scribbled a number down on the back. "This is where I'm staying until tonight, and you know how to contact me."  Sam took the card with his free hand, and stood looking from one to the other as Josh started his car.  He waved as he pulled away, and couldn't help but feel a little victorious as he watched an unsure, but contemplative Sam through his rearview mirror.

Author's Notes:  I'm really partial to the idea of Sam being a very young president, so unrealistic though it may be, I've decided to move things along really fast… and I'm going with the pilot age as being 30 or 31.


	3. Untitled 3

Author's Notes:  So, this is unintentionally becoming more and more AU, thought still not drastically so.  In my creative liberty, I've decided that Grace and Sam met sometime during the first term, and were possibly married shortly after re-election.  It's not a terribly firm timeline in my head yet, so things could still change; sorry.  And don't worry; if you're patient, more of your favorite characters should emerge at one point or another…

Sam opened the door to his home.  "Grace?" he called out.  "Grace, I'm home!"  Sam hung up his coat.

"I'm in here!" she answered.  Sam followed her voice to the kitchen, where he tossed his keys onto the counter and found his wife wearing oven mitts: one lobster, one cow.  She set down the glass dish she'd pulled out of the oven, and then shut the door.  Sam walked over to her and she greeted him with a kiss, cupping his face with her oven mitts.  He laughed, laid a hand gingerly over her barely-showing tummy, and lightly kissed her forehead.  

"You're adorable." He laughed.  "Where's Nate?"

She smiled.  "He's taking a nap.  You have a good day?" she asked, turning back to her dish.

"Yes."  Sam answered.  She looked at him, waiting for her husband to expound, as he always did.  "Josh stopped by today."

"Josh?" Grace questioned.

"Josh."  Sam returned, as if the name itself was enough of an explanation.

"Josh, Josh, Josh?" she repeated, eyebrows raised.

"And three times means…?" Sam teased.

"Josh – our Josh." Grace clarified.

"Lyman, yeah." Sam sighed, and plopped down on one of the stools that lined the island in the kitchen where Grace was cooking.  

She stopped and stared at him.  "Well, why didn't you bring him home?!"

"He had to go back to Washington." Sam answered, leaning his chin on his hand. 

Grace's hands went to her hips.  "He couldn't say hello?"

"He had some people to see, and he's flying back in a couple hours, I think."  Sam answered absentmindedly.

"See, this is what happens when he doesn't listen to Donna."  Grace admonished, waving the lobster in the air.

Sam chuckled a little.  "Yeah."

What was he doing here?" Grace focused her attention on dicing vegetables.  "The President's not in California."

"No." Sam answered.  He paused before continuing.  "No – he wanted to ask if I might get back into politics."

Grace looked up, but kept cutting.  "He knows you won't work for the President."

"He knows." Sam raised his head and leaned forward on his elbows.  "He didn't come for President Hoynes." He began preparing himself mentally for the barrage of questions that he would have to answer.

"He's got another guy in mind?" She questioned, throwing her vegetables in a pot on the stove.

"Yeah." Sam nodded, his gaze unfocused.

"What do you think?" Grace asked him.  "This guy a good guy?"

Sam smiled and laughed a little.  "You like him."

Grace stopped again and looked at her husband.  "Sam, what aren't you telling me?"

Sam met her eyes with his own.  "He asked me."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"He asked me, Gracie."  Sam repeated.  "He wants me to run." 

"Oh, wow." Grace leaned forward across the countertop as well.

"Yeah." Sam nodded again, folding his hands together.

"No, I mean, oh, wow, Sam." Grace was more than a little shocked.

"We'd start immediately, with the gubernatorial." He told her.

Grace raised her eyebrows again.  "That's the race for governor?"

"Yeah." Sam answered, and then grinned. They'd been married for five years, and she still knew so little about politics.  "Yeah."

Grace didn't seem to notice that he was amused by her lack of knowledge.  "That's in – that's like, a year, Sam.  Don't you need more time than that?"

"Yeah." He grew somber again, lowering his chin back to his hand.

Grace took her husband's free hand in both of hers.  He raised his head, and found her deep brown eyes searching him.  "Do you want to do it?"

He sighed.  "I don't know."  His head fell again, and Grace gently laid a hand on his cheek.  

"Whatever you do, I trust you.  Nate and I – " she paused "wherever you go, we go."

Sam smiled and took one of her hands, kissing the palm.  He sighed again and stood.  "I'm gonna take a walk."

Grace nodded.  "We'll go ahead and eat, but I'll leave a plate for you." She told him, knowing he needed time and that he wouldn't be back until much later.

Sam smiled gratefully, appreciating her understanding.  He turned and walked back to the entryway, where he slipped on his coat.  He stepped out the door, acknowledging the darkening skies and feeling the cool breeze.  Not quite sure where he wanted to go, Sam simply began walking.  He considered everything.  He thought about Grace and Nate and the baby that was on the way.  He thought about the job he had just begun at the University.  He did genuinely enjoy teaching.  He enjoyed his students and he enjoyed a normal, regular schedule, and the time that it allowed him to spend with his wife and child.  It was a comfortable existence; it was safe.  Sam wasn't sure he was willing to put his family in a state-wide, and possibly, eventually, a national spotlight.  He wasn't even sure he would be able to do it.  There were so many reasons not to try.  Sam dug his hands into his pockets, vaguely aware of the rolling thunder that was building in the distance.  He felt the two pieces of paper that he'd put there.  One from his long-time friend, with a number and address.  The other from a man he greatly respected, that brought back a vivid and cherished memory.  It was the night before the New Hampshire primary; it was a game of chess with the President of the United States and a discussion about China and Taiwan in a dimly lit West Wing office.  It was a statement of encouragement.  Sam pulled the note out.  He looked at it as he kept walking.

_See the whole board.  I believe in you._

It began to rain, only a few drops at first, and the thunder grew louder.  "Sam.  You're gonna run for President one day. Don't be scared. You can do it."  The words echoed in his mind; he could still hear President Bartlet.  "That's checkmate."  It was raining harder now, but there was sudden clarity in Sam's head.  He looked around, and recognized that he was far from home.  Twilight was quickly approaching.  Sam took a glance at his watch; he'd been out for a little over an hour and a half.  Searching his pockets, he discovered that he'd not brought his phone with him.  He stood for a moment in the rain, now sufficiently wet, and was indecisive.  He looked at Josh's card.  It was too late to go home now and still catch him.  He read the address, thought about it briefly, and took off running, this time with a purpose and with direction.   


	4. Untitled 4

Josh zipped his bag shut, and flipped off the TV, which had been running on CNN.  He sighed and shouldered his backpack, made sure he had his car keys, and picked up his duffel bag.  He glanced at the phone one more time and waited a moment, willing it to ring.  It didn't, so he turned and went to the door.  He opened it with a free hand, and in the early evening light, saw a figure coming toward him in the parking lot.  He was puzzled, and then he realized who it was. 

"Sam?!" he shouted through the rain.  "-the hell?!"

Sam jogged up to him, soaking wet, and huddled under the modest shelter that the motel roof canopy made.  "I thought – I wanted –" he was out of breath.

"Did you walk here?"  Josh asked him.

"Yeah."  Sam nodded, the water dripping off his clothes and hair.  

Josh looked at him.  "It's raining."  He stated.

"It wasn't when I left," Sam replied, attempting to dismiss the conversation with a wave of his hand.  "I wanted to catch you –"

"But –" Josh was clearly puzzled.  "…the sky was _cloudy_ when you left, right?"

"It's Southern California!"  Sam shouted.  "It doesn't matter!"

Josh looked at his flustered friend.  He knew why he had come all this way in the rain, but he had to ask anyway.  "Sam?"  Josh continued to search, and as Sam stood there, half-drowned in front of the motel room, his face broke into a wide grin.  Josh returned the smile.  "Shake my hand."  Sam did, and Josh pulled him into the room, slapping his back and spraying himself with water as he did.  "We gotta move.  I've already talked to the DNCCC –"

Sam stopped him, holding up a hand in protest.  "You didn't know if I'd say yes."

Josh smirked.  "Sure I did."

"Well," Sam wasn't sure how to respond.  "Okay."

"Come on."  Josh grinned all the more broadly and went to the bathroom to grab a towel.  He handed it to Sam, who gladly accepted it.  "I need to get to the airport, but you can come with me; we need to talk about the Governor's Mansion."

Sam stopped him again.  "You know California doesn't actually have a Governor's Mansion, right?"

"What's the house in Sacramento?" Josh's eyebrows were crinkled in confusion.

"No governor has lived in that house for 40 years, Josh."  Sam told him.

"Oh.  Well… alright."  Josh replied.  "I'm… you know… I'm gonna learn some stuff."  Josh defended.  "Donna bought a book."

"Yeah?"  Sam looked skeptical.  

"Yeah."  Josh led his friend to the door.  "A California book.  A big book.  It's huge."  Josh gestured with his hands, indicating that the book was indeed huge.  "She's making index cards."  He added.

"Alright."  Sam answered, then grinned.  "I can give you fast facts on the way to the airport."

"Fast facts?" Josh cocked an eyebrow. 

"Yeah." Sam grew excited. "The state flower is the poppy. The state animal is the grizzly bear. Did you know the highest and lowest points in the continental United States are found in California?"

"Oh, god." Josh muttered.

"Mt. Whitney and Death Valley, respectively." Sam spouted off. 

"Tell me you don't-" Josh began, "Sam, tell me you don't know how high and how low-"

"14,995 feet, and 282 feet below sea level." He interrupted.

"Why?" Josh asked him. "Why do you choose to know these things?"

"It's fun." Sam answered.

"Let's go." Josh said, opening the door and running out to the car. 

"There are about 500,000 detectable seismic tremors every year in California!" Sam kept going, shouting over the rain while Josh unlocked the car. Josh quickly slid inside, followed by Sam. 

"Did I tell you Donna bought a big book?" Josh asked, brushing the water off his coat and out of his hair.

"Yeah." Sam replied, "but you can learn now, too." 

Josh absentmindedly rubbed his temples. "How far is it to the airport?" 

Sam looked at his watch. "It'll take about an hour, with traffic." 

"Ah-kay." Josh started the car.

"Over twenty professional sports teams. Baseball?  You've got the Angels, the Dodgers, the Giants.  Basketball, of course you got the Lakers…"


End file.
